Many practitioners of magick use the term "black magick" to refer to
magick which might be considered unethical, typically magick to harm or
control others. "White magick" would be the reverse - magick which is
ethical and/or harms none. Those who don't wish to ascribe a negative
connotation to the former type of magick frequently refer to it as the
"Left Hand Path"; however, "black" and "white" continue to be the primary
terms of reference for these concepts. Following is an explanation of why
I don't use these terms.
1. I think the racial connotations of the words "black" and "white" are a
problem. We still live in a society with a lot of racial inequality and I
consider it problematic to use these terms to describe "negative" and
"positive" magick (respectively).
2. These are very simplistic and vague terms, which don't really convey a
lot of information about the subject beyond a moral judgment. They divide
magick into polarized categories which are somewhat arbitrary and
relative. For example, I hear that Jane performed a spell to "bind" her
friend's abusive partner and prevent him from injuring her friend. Some
might consider this "black magick" because it controls another person;
others might consider it "white magick" because it will protect Jane's
friend.
3. One aspect of Witchcraft which many people appreciate is the emphasis
on the balance between different aspects of life; the balance between
light and dark is often cited as an example. If we truly believe that both
light and dark are natural forces to be respected, then why would we
associate "darkness" with a type of magick that many of us consider to be
wrong or coercive?
4. Sometimes I hear the term "dark" applied to magick which is not
considered wrong or coercive, but is considered more serious or more
emotionally difficult. For example, I've heard the term "dark" used to
describe magick having to do with: sex, coming to terms with death, or
facing one's own shadow side. This may have a less negative connotation,
but is still a vague way of describing something (since, as you can see,
it may apply to a wide range of very different magickal activities). I
prefer more concrete terms which convey more information to the
listener.
For all these reasons, I don't use the terms "black" or "white" when
describing magick. Rather, I try to use more accurate and specific terms
to describe what I mean, such as "magick to control others" or "magick I
consider ethical" or "magick that has to do with facing my fears."
